Space Travel Could Accelerate Aging Of Astronauts' Immune System, Says Study

As human expeditions to Mars and asteroids are being planned, the latest research has shown that long-term space flight may make the human immune system age faster.

In a study published on Monday in the Journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, spaceflight was found to have negative effects on the immune system, PBS reported.

With programs such as Mars One looking to form a permanent human colony on Earth's neighboring planet, it is crucial for researchers to comprehend the likely effects of remaining in regions with little-to-no gravity for long periods of time, the study said.

Researchers found that mice exposed to low-gravity conditions have immune systems that are prematurely aging.

One important change has been noticed in the mice's bone marrow, which started to produce the B lymphocyte at levels similar to those of elderly mice. Lymphocytes are cells that create antibodies.

The study was not the first of its kind to point out this problem though. In August, research by NASA had 28 crew members from the International Space Station as participants. NASA's study showed that the immune systems of space travelers during spaceflight were "confused." Some cell functions were either depressed or heightened than normal.

The immune system, when cell activity is depressed, did not respond to threats, researchers said. They also observed that decreased cell activity leads to the reawakening of latent, or dormant, viruses in the body, but without symptoms of illness.

On the other hand, heightened cell activity can lead to increased allergy symptoms and persistent rashes.

"Things like radiation, microbes, stress, microgravity, altered sleep cycles and isolation could all have an effect on crew member immune systems," Brian Crucian, a NASA immunology expert, was quoted by PBS as saying. "If this situation persisted for longer deep space missions, it could possibly increase risk of infection, hypersensitivity, or autoimmune issues for exploration astronauts."

Both studies ended with a similar conclusion: Crew members must be prepared. The continued study of these immune system responses may give insights in countering such kind of immune changes either through drugs or spacecraft design.